[This is the second of a series of articles leading up to World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, June 15, 2021]
Part Two: Predators
Helen’s* family was stunned by
her Alzheimer’s diagnosis. They were equally stunned when that diagnosis didn’t
protect her or her family from the ravages of elder financial exploitation.
A family vacation home was sold
and the proceeds disappeared. Banking and investment accounts vanished or the
balances diminished in an unexplained plummet. Like many elder victims, Helen
became increasingly defensive, evasive, and confused. But it’s not only the
ailing who can be exploited. The insidious truth is that healthy elders
(defined as anyone over 60 years of age) can become victims, too.
Clever Scams
Financial scams are limited only
by the predator’s imagination and no prior relationship between the victim and
predator is needed. Scams can come in the form of phone calls by persons
alleging to be a family member (most often a grandchild) in some kind of urgent
trouble or a customer service representative offering a ‘refund’ that cleverly
morphs into the victim sending money (frequently in the form of gift cards) to
cover an ‘error.’ The Internet can be a minefield of scams only a click away. Mail-based
fraud may take the form of charity or political solicitations. Unscrupulous
home maintenance professionals may also take advantage of elders, where sneaky perpetrators
pad invoices or submit false bills altogether. The American Association of
Retired Persons (AARP) has a trove of articles to help identify and protect
yourself or loved ones from phone-, Internet-, and mail-based scams at
aarp.org.
We can begin to protect our elders
from nameless or faceless predators with advice like, “Don’t give out personal
or financial information over the phone or unfamiliar websites,” or, “Don’t
respond to direct mail solicitations.” Calling your local resource center or
council on aging for referrals to trusted professionals or home repair
businesses is also a line of protection. Yet, elder financial exploitation is
one of the most under-reported crimes. Why? Because it’s a crime of access and
opportunity most often enacted by a family member or a close family friend.
The Trusted
Predator
So, who are the people who
exploit others?
They are the sons, daughters,
spouses, friends, grandchildren, landlords, or professionals who have sat with
you on a sunny afternoon. They have access to the elder, most often by living
with them or in close proximity to them. Unlike the fraud schemes mentioned
above, they have a close relationship with the elder, and it’s that
relationship that becomes weaponized.
Helen’s case was a perfect storm
of bad actors. What began as self-serving acts of one individual tragically
became a case of predatory guardianship. As fictionalized in the Netflix movie,
I Care A Lot, professionals charged
with protecting vulnerable adults are well-positioned to exploit their charges.
Most conservators or guardians have sufficient state-mandated oversight to
eliminate abuses, but even well-intentioned tools can add to problems. (More
about guardianships in a later column.)
Widowed years before, Helen lived
away from family in a retirement community. Isolation from supportive family
and friends is a key contributor to abuse. For Helen’s family, what had seemed
like an ideal situation of independent living added to her vulnerability.
Removed from the questioning eyes of family, Jane* began to exert influence. Small
transgressions went unaddressed. Jane became emboldened and began to “wean”
Helen from her other relationships, further embedding herself into Helen’s
affairs. Jane became an indispensable friend, displaying hurt if not included
in Helen’s plans. Soon, the family realized Helen had little privacy from Jane,
and Helen became evasive when questioned about her friend.
Isolation can be physical, but it
can be psychological as well.
Elizabeth’s* youngest daughter,
Mary*, didn’t understand the increasingly large checks written to her brother,
Craig*. When questioned, Elizabeth withdrew, mentioning how angry Craig had
become at Mary’s inquiries. Elizabeth struggled to “keep the peace,” and began
to avoid Mary in fear of making Craig mad.
Jane and Craig used their access
to begin separating the vulnerable elder from people or institutions
instrumental in the healthy support of that elder. Once isolated, the
opportunities for their actions to go unquestioned increased. Perpetrators of
financial exploitation are most often a close family member like a husband or
grandchild. They leverage the loss or worsening of their relationship as a
weapon–“do this or else”–or as a gaslighting wedge, “Don’t you remember? You
owed me money for gas and groceries.” Or worse. “Oh, these documents? Trust me,
it’s nothing. Sign here.” What the victim’s family sadly finds out too late, is
that one signature can make a lifetime of savings disappear.
A ‘Justifiable’
Crime
People who exploit others often
do not see their actions as wrong. Jane began her theft feeling Helen had
“enough” money and, with her failing health, would “never miss it.” Craig felt
entitled to Elizabeth’s money through a misguided combination of “oldest son”
and a sense of entitlement. Observed from the outside, exploitative
relationships don’t have the typical red flags one would expect in an abusive
relationship. Perpetrators of elder financial abuse and exploitation enjoy the
cloak of “private family affair” that makes questioning details by a concerned
person uncomfortable. An addicted child or cash-poor son may be sheltered by a
parent reluctant to disclose painful family secrets.
Helen was surely vulnerable and
the family was justifiably upset at the changes of her financial health, and,
as a result, their inheritances. Yet, Jane felt justified and protected. Mary
felt anger toward her mother and brother for continuing a pattern all knew was
wrong.
Once diagnosed, Helen’s family reached
out to others for help, only to uncover a shocking underbelly of corruption.
Mary found stopping her mother’s financial drain had a surprising twist.
How and why?
The next articles will provide
some answers.
###
Part Three: The Perfect Victims
*All names have been changed upon the request of the families.
Elder abuse is a crime that can
be physical, medical, financial, or emotional/behavioral in nature. Neglect and
abandonment of an elder can be crimes as well. If you or a loved one is the
subject of suspected abuse, call your local adult protective services to speak
confidentially with a knowledgeable expert.
